Regina Belle
| birth_place = Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | residence = Atlanta, Georgia, | occupation = | education = Rutgers University | years_active = 1982–present | spouse = | partner = | children = 5 | relatives = | module = | label = | associated_acts = }} | website = }} Regina Belle (born July 17, 1963) is an American singer–songwriter and actress who started her career in the mid-1980s. Known for her singles "Baby Come to Me" (1989) and "Make It Like It Was" (1990), Belle's most notable for two hit duets, both with Peabo Bryson: "Without You", the love theme from the comedy film Leonard Part 6, recorded in 1987 and "A Whole New World", the main theme of the Disney's animated feature film ''Aladdin'', recorded in 1992, with which Belle and Bryson won the Grammy award. The theme song "Far Longer than Forever" from the animated movie The Swan Princess, performed with Jeffrey Osborne, was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1995 for Best Original Song. Biography Early life and education Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey. It was at Englewood's Mount Calvary Baptist Church, and then Paterson's Friendship Baptist Church (presided over by Belle's uncle, the Reverend Fred Belle), that Belle began attracting attention with her vocal abilities. She sang her first solo in church at the age of eight. She attended Dwight Morrow High School, where she studied trombone, tuba and steel drums.Beckerman, Jim. "For Regina Belle, time for a special payback", The Record (Bergen County), October 31, 2004; accessed July 9, 2007. After graduation, Belle studied opera at the Manhattan School of Music. She attended Rutgers University and became the first female vocalist with the school's jazz ensemble. Belle's musical influences include Phyllis Hyman, Billie Holiday, Shirley Caesar, Patti LaBelle, and Nancy Wilson.Bryant, Scott Poulsen (1993), "Regina: A showstopper with star power", Essence Magazine 24, no. 4: 56–60; accessed May 6, 2008. She was introduced to the Manhattans by New York radio DJ Vaughn Harper and began working as their opening act. She recorded the duet "Where Did We Go Wrong" with the group which helped to attract the attention of Columbia Records. They eventually signed her to a record deal. Career In 1987, she released her debut album All by Myself. It includes her first hits "So Many Tears" and "Show Me the Way". In the same year, Belle recorded her first successful duet with Peabo Bryson: the song "Without You", the love theme from the comedy film Leonard Part 6, also released in 1987. The song was her first single to appear on the Adult Contemporary (chart), peaking at #8 and was also her first single to appear in four charts, including the UK Singles, peaking at #85, her best position in this chart until 1989. Her follow-up album, Stay with Me, released in 1989. Belle recorded a duet in 1991 with Johnny Mathis, "Better Together" which appeared on his album Better Together: The Duet Album. Continuing her tradition of duets, Belle teamed up with Peabo Bryson for four songs: "Without You" (in 1987), "I Can't Imagine" (in 1991), "A Whole New World" (in 1992) and "Total Praise" (in 2009). Scott, Ron (2004). "Belle's Lazy afternoon", New York Amsterdam News 95, no. 37: 17; accessed May 5, 2008.Lopez, Robert. August 3, 2007. "Regina Belle knows about sacrifices", Knight Ridder Tribune Business News; accessed May 6, 2008. Later in 1993, she released her Platinum selling third album, Passion. The album featured the Disney hit, "A Whole New World". |title=Regina Belle Artist Chart History|accessdate=2008-05-06}} The theme song "Far Longer than Forever" from the animated movie The Swan Princess, performed with Jeffrey Osborne was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1995 for Best Original Song. She released Reachin' Back in 1995 followed by Believe in Me in 1998. In 2001, her cover of "Just the Two of Us" from the tribute album To Grover, With Love made a surprising return to the Billboard charts. Within months Belle would sign with the jazz-oriented independent label Peak-Concord Jazz. She released the album This Is Regina!, which featured the R&B hit single "Ooh Boy", and also released were, "Don't Wanna Go Home" and "From Now On" with Glenn Jones. In 2004, she released a jazz standard album, Lazy Afternoon, produced by George Duke. The album included covers of the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You" and Tony Bennett's "If I Ruled the World". In 2007, she collaborated with smooth jazz saxophonist Paul Taylor, co-writing and singing on his album "Ladies Choice". Belle released her debut gospel album Love Forever Shines on May 13, 2008, via Pendulum Records. The 14-track collection features guests Melvin Williams (of the Williams Brothers) and Shirley Murdock. On June 5, 2012, Belle released on Pendulum her second gospel album, called Higher, on which she stated: "I think that, with the second CD [Higher] I had a better understanding of where I wanted to go [compared to Love Forever Shines]". Belle has appeared in concert with many other performers, including Ray Charles, Boney James, Paul Taylor, The Rippingtons, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Maze, Frankie Beverly, Phil Perry, Al Jarreau, and Stephanie Mills. Personal Belle has been married twice. Her first marriage was to saxophonist and flute player Horace Alexander Young from 1985 until 1990, and together they had a daughter named Tiy (born 1989) . Belle married former NBA basketball player John Battle on June 25, 1991."Singer Regina Belle Weds Basketball Star John Battle", Jet, September 30, 1991, p. 24.iamreginabelle on Instagram. The couple has five children, three of which are adopted : Winter, Tiy, son Jayln. After suffering miscarriages of two sets of twin boys, the couple had daughter Sydney (born 1994) and Nyla (born November 10, 1995). Belle has two grandchildren from Winter, Thea and Joshua. Regina successfully battled a brain tumor in 2009. However, she is now deaf in her left ear. Regina and her husband reside in Atlanta, Georgia. John is a pastor.Profile, Ebony (December 1996). Discography Studio albums Compilations * 1997: Baby Come to Me: The Best of Regina Belle * 2001: Super Hits * 2006: Love Songs Singles Awards and nominations *American Music Award **1991, Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist (Nominated) *Grammy Award |- | 1991 | "Make It Like It Was" | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | |- | rowspan="2" | 1994 | rowspan="2" | "A Whole New World" (with Peabo Bryson) | Record of the Year | |- | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | |- | 1999 | Believe in Me | Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album | |- | 2002 | This is Regina | Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album | |} *MTV Movie Awards **1993, Best Song From a Movie: "A Whole New World" (with Peabo Bryson) (Nominated) See also *List of number-one hits (United States) *List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 References External links *Regina Belle official website * *Regina Belle 2016 Audio Interview at Soulinterviews.com Category:1963 births Category:African-American female singers Category:American female pop singers Category:American soul singers Category:Concord Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Dwight Morrow High School alumni Category:People from Englewood, New Jersey Category:Singers from New Jersey Category:American contemporary R&B singers Category:20th-century American women singers Category:21st-century women singers Category:Ballad musicians